Printing device for meters.



P. N. GOLDEN.

PRINTING DEVICE FOR METERS.

APPLICATION I'ILED NOV. 16, 1908.

Patented Jan. 18, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHBET 1.

L I GHT C OMPANY WITNESSES:

TORNEYS P. N. GOLDEN.

PRINTING DEVICE FOR METERS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 16, 1908.

946,755. 4 PatentedJan.18,1910.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

INVENTOR WITNESSES:

w I BY TTORNEYS PERCY N. GOLDEN, 0F ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY.

PRINTING DEVICE FOR METERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 18, 1910.

Application filed November 16, 1908. Serial No. 462,798.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PERCY N. GOLDEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elizabeth, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Printing Dr vices for Meters; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification. p

This invention relates to an improved reading device for a meter, and comprises anattachment to be placed in conjunction with the registering mechanism of a meter so that the numerals indicating the amount of fluid consumed areal-ranged in a row so that they will deliver an impression on a bill or sheet, so that the numeralsare printed and there can'be no error about their being correct, since the impression is made directly from the register.

The device comprises a means for concealing the registering and printing mechanism, the casing having a means for the insertion of a bill or slip of paper, the means for the insertion however havin aclosing device which is normally held in place to close the place where the bill is inserted.

' The device further'embodies a locking device which is adapted to be operated by a key or a combination to provide against the accidental or malicious use of the registering device, but permitting the actuation of the J registering device by an authorized person.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which igure 1 is a side view of the device attached to a meter, and Fig. 2 is a View of a sample bill made from the device. Fig. 3 is a front View with the casing shown in section. Fig. 4 is a section through line 4, 4, in Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 is a similar section through line 5, 5, in Fig. 3, but showing the printing device operated.

As now operated, meters are usually read by an employee of the company supplying the fluid passing through the meter, which lists are afterward made in ledgers and similarbooks of account and then copied on bills, and this frequent copying very meter 11.

often gives rise to serious errors. To obviate this, and to print or perforate or similarly mark the amount of the meter reading, on the bill itself is the object of thisinvcntion, and the construction for carrying the same out is embodied in the accompanying drawings. It consists of a suitable casing 10 which is attached to the proper part of a \Vithin the casing is a frame 12 which is attached to any part of the casing, but preferably to the back thereof by means of the brackets 13 and the screws 14. Near the bottom thereof the frame has mounted therein a toothed wheel 15 which is in mesh with a wheel 16 of the measuring appa' ratus of the meter. The toothed wheel 15 is mounted on a shaft 17 on which is mounted a smaller wheel 18 which in turn is in mesh with a wheel 19 on a shaft 20. A. smaller wheel 21 meshes with the wheel 22 on the same shaft on which is a wheel 23 which operates the wheel 24 arranged on the shaft 25. The toothed wheel 24 has a pin 26 which acts as a propelling pin, and the propelled pin 27 is fastened to a 'ratchet 28 integral wi h the counting disk 29, which in turn is connected, by the usual multiplying devices 30, to the remaining counting disks 31 and 32. The numerals facing outward from the frame, which numerals are on the counting disk, form the means for impressing on the bill the amount of the reading.

To cause a pressure to be applied to the numerals adapted to print, I provide a swinging plate 33 which is pivoted on one end on a screw 34 and is adapted to have a connection 35 on its other end for the attachment of a suitable lock 36, which look is adapted to be operated by any suitablekey 37. When the key is inserted and the lock is turned,'the plate 33 is swung to the dotted position shown in Fig. 4, where a bloclc38 engages the block 39 on the arch 40, wh ch arch is adapted to cross the top of the casing and project down on either side thereof to close the slit 41. \Vhen the block 38 engages the block 39 however, and the movement of the plate 33 is continued, by turning the key or the combination, the arch 40 swings ov er out of the Way of the slit 41, and it permits the insertion of a sheet 42 which is Preferably a sheet of pa er and usually comprises the bill on whic 1 the figures are to be marked. The continued movementcauses a pressure its pivot, and thus insure the slit being shut-Q It happens sometimes that when the meter is to be read, the numeral on the counting disk 29- is out of register with the other disks, having passed but half way into place. To cause the disks to be alined and have their numerals in rows, I provide a finger on an arm 46 which is pivotally mounted, as at 47, on the shaft 21, and it has another arm 48 which is engaged by the arch 40 when it swings, and the finger is forced up into the nearest ratchet so as to move the wheel around in place as shown in Fig. 5. If this causes a forward movement of one numeral no harm is done, since, by the movement of the meter, the propelling pin 26 then follows around without engaging the propelled pin 27 until they again are in contact, and there is no overcharge to the customer, since he secures the fluid for which he pays, which is but a small fraction of the whole amount used, subsequent to the reading of the meter. A spring 49 insures the returnof the finger 45 on the arm 46 when the plate 33 is swung back into its normal position.

In Fig. 2 I show a sample of the bill as might be used with my device, which shows.

the perforated numerals 50 as they would be placed on a bill, the bill when inserted being marked with the dotted lines 51 so that it can be placed in the casing 10 with these dotted lines inregister with the edges of the casing,

and the numerals will be printed in their proper respective places. This prevents unnecessary copying of figures, and a'reader of meters can have the meter imprint its own figures on the bill, and there can thus be no mistake. I

I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the particular form of structure herein shown for accomplishing this end, since minor modifications can be made in my construction without departing from the scope of the invention. A transparent casing or a casing with a transparent front can be used so that the meter can be read in the usual way, that is, visual ly"direct from the registering mechanism as is now done.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim is:-

1. A registering device for meters comprising a casing having a slit therein, a series of numerals in the casing operated from the meter, a plate adapted to swing against the numerals, a lock for operating the plate and also acting to prevent its accidental operation, and a closure for the slit in the easing operated with the plate.

2. A registering device for meters com prising a casing having a slit therein, a series of disks having numerals thereon, the disks being in the casing and the numerals being adapted to print, the disks having their peripheries substantially tangent to the slit, a plate mounted in the casing and adapted to swing against the numerals, a lock for the plate, an operative connection between the lock and the plate for operating the plate from the lock, and a swinging closure for the slit in the casing adapted to open the slit when the plate is swung.

3. A registering device for meters comprising a casing having a slit therein for the insertion of a sheet of material to be printed, a series of counting disks having numerals thereon, means for operating the counting disks from a meter, a plate adapted to be swung against the numeral disk, a lock for the plate, an operative connection between the lock and the plate for operating the plate from the lock, a pad on the plate to engage the numerals adapted to print, an arch normally closing the slit, and means for operating the arch to open the slit when the plate is partly swung.

4. A registering device for meters comprising a casing having a slit therein, counting disks having numerals thereon, the nu merals'being adapted to print, a plate swinging in the casing, a lock for the plate adapted to operate the plate, a closure for the slit adapted to be operated when the plate is operated, and means for alining the numerals on the disks when the plate is swung.

5. A registering device for meters comprising a casing having a slit therein, counting disks having numerals thereon, means for operating the disks from a meter, a plate adapted to swing and en age the numerals on the disk that are'alined to print, an arch closing the slot, means for operating the arch from the plate, a lock for operatin the plate, and means on the plate for 10c ing the arch shut when the plate is locked.

6. A registering devlce for meters comprising a casing having a slit therein, a series of counting disks, means for propelling the counting disks from a meter, a plate pivoted in the casing and adapted to be swung against the numerals on the counting disks adapted to print, a closure for the slit arranged to swing on the pivot of the plate, means for locking the arch shut when the plate is in itsnormal position, co-acting means on the plate and the closure for uncovering t e slit when the plate is partly swung, and a lock adapted to be operated from the exterior of the casing for operating the plate.

7 A registering device formeters comprisin a casing having a slit therein, a series of counting disks, means for propelling the counting disks from a meter, a plate pivoted in the'casing andadapted to be swung against the numerals on the counting disks adapted to print, a closure for the slit arranged to swing on the pivot of the plate, means for locking the arch shut whenthe plate is in its normal position, co-acting means on the plate and the closure for uncovering the slit when the plate is partly swung, means for insuring the alinement of the counting disks adapted to 'be operated when the plate is swung, and a lock for the plate adapted to be operated from the exterior of the casing for operating the plate.

8. A registering device for meters com-- prising a casing having a slit to permit the insertion ofa sheet from the exterior, a registering and printing mechanism within the casing and adapted to be operated from a meter, a lock adapted to be operated from the exterior and connected with the'printing mechanism to alternately operate and lock it, and an inside closure for the slit adapted to open when the printing mechanism is operated. y Y

9. A registering device for meters comprising a casing having a slit therein to permit the insertion of a sheet, from the exterior, a frame in the casing, a series of counting disks having numerals thereon adapted to print, a plate pivoted in the easing, a lock on one end of the plate and adapted to operate it, an arch pivotally mounted on the pivot of the plate and adapted to normall I close the slit, means on the plate for holding the arch shut, means on the plate for swinging the arch when the plate is swung, and means actuated by the swinging of the plate to aline the disks.

. 10. A registering device for meters comprising a casing having a slit therein, a frame in the casing having counting disks with numerals thereon, the counting disks being so disposed that the numerals adapted to print are arranged to rest against a sheet inserted in the slit of the casing, a plate'adapted to swing and exert a pressure against the sheet and the numerals, a closure for the slit adapted to be swung from the slit when the plate is operated, and a lock for the plate adapted'to operate the same.

In testimony, thatvI claim the foregoing, I have hereunto set my hand this 13th day of November 1908.

, PERCY N. GOLDEN. Witnesses:

WM. H. CAMFIELD, E. A. PELL. 

